St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-19
HANGED FOR MURDER.
A Man Who suffered for the Crime
of Another.
A Detectives Experience - Jennie
Price, the Murdered Girl.

Price, the NJ urdere1 G1rl.
New York Sun.
was asked the other day how many
cases had known in my long experience
as a detective, of innocent people being con-
yicted and punished for the crimes OF
others? My answer was, Only one, and
the case is well worth relating and reading.
began my detective career in Canada,
and in a locality where justice made swift
work of evil doors. had been three years
in the business, and had done some very
fair work when very sensational case
was put into my hands. Three miles from
the city of B lived retired merchant
named Grafton. He had a fine mansion,
elegant grounds, and plenty OF money, but
his wife was an insane patient In his house.
and his only child, boy of 10. was half
idiot Grafton was silent partner in several
concerns in the city, but spent four-tif OF
his time at home. His wife was never
seen. while the young man lived more
like a wild animal than human being,
the greater part of his time being spent in
the woods and fields, no matter what the
weather. Grafton had coachman, gar
dener and hired man, German about 80
wears of age. who had been i'll the county
aboat five years when 1 saw him at the
house There were three female servants,
and one of them was a girl Is years of age
named Jennie Price. whose mother was q
very respectable widow in the city. This
girl was allowed to go home every other
SATURDAY., and always rode in with Fritz,
the coachman, as he went to market, ran
home for an hour or two, and then returned
ny the same vehicle. 1t was reported that
Fritz was in love with and jealous of her
Will Grafton, the half-idiot, had also taken
a shine TO her. but his attentions were
laughed to scorn by the pretty Jennie and
her companions.
PATHS EXCITEMENT 49,
Now. then, in the afternoon of certain
14th of July several weghty incidents oc-
cured. Fritz received letter with for
eign poStmark, and was very much excited.
He was seen running to the barn with the
letter in his hand. and, ten minutes later,
was heard shouting and Stormlng to himself
as if greatly enraged and excited. The
servants said to each other that he must
have received bad news, but none OF them
went TO investigate and console him.
1t was ,Jennie'S day to 90 home, but
Grafton WIS indisposed. Fritz suddenly
disappeared. and VIII was not allowed to
drive the horses. The girl, therefore, de-
cided to set out on foot and take her
chances of getting lift on the road She
eft at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and was to
return by noon next day. Saturday night
it was discovered that Fritz had left the
house and locality, not even asking for his
wages, while Will had set off Oh one of his
erratic excursions, having been seen by the
cook to pack up some provisions.
Jennie did not return on Sunday, or
Monday, or Tuesday, and Grafton drove
into town on Wednesday and sent mes
sage to her house. She had not been home,
and an investigation revealed the fact that
none of her friends had seen her for two
weeks. 1t was case OF mysterious dis
appearance" and | came into it having
little doubt that it would turn out like the
majority of such cases. However, when
had learned that the girl was steady as well
as handsome, and that everybody had per-
feet confidence in her principles, l went
20 the Grafton mansion to begin my search
there. This was on Thursday morning. and
1t now seemed pretty plain that some ca
Iamity had befalen the girl. In all hour
learned all the incidents related above.
Grafton was very anxious in the matter,
telling me to spare no expense, but when
began to question Will, the young man
turned on his heel and walked off, as if deaf
and dumb. l, however, had a
chance to look him over for a
couple of minutes, and | made note of
several things. \ button had been torn off
his coat with such a force as to tear the
cloth. He had two scratches on the right
cheek and one on the right hand. One finger
of the right hand was tied up in a.rag and
the cook, vino tied it up for him, told Inc
that something had bitten him severely.
Itwas a quarter of a mile from the house
to the highway. with a carriage road run
ming straight from the front door. This
road was taken by any OF the servants who
were going to town Oh foot. By making
cut through wood they saved at least half
a mile in distance. The girl Jennie had
been seen to take this path on that Satur-
day and my search Law in that direction.
The woods covered about ten acres and
We're not underbrushed. The path was
we'll defined and was romantic walk for a
summers day, the forest being alive with
hares, squirrels and birds.
THE FIRST CLEw.
Halfway through the woods the path
traversed dell about half an acre in ex-
tent 1t was while crossing this that | got
nv first cew. Several feet to the right
of the path was Jennie'S paraSol, and as
picked it up | found that it had been badly
oroken. While it was closed, as she would
be likely to carry it through the woods, four
ribe were broken and the handle loosened.
ard | felt certain that she had used it as
weapon of defense. Fifty feet further on,
and right in the path, found her handbag
Across the dell, in the thick woods
again. l found bow from her
throat on bush, and here the earth
had been torn up and the bushes
broken down to prove struggle. 1t was
one which must have lasted for some time
and been tercely contested, and had no
sooner looked over the ground than | knew
that Jennie's dead body would be found
somewhere in the woods AS to the local
ity, l soon found broken twigs, bit of
dress on a bush, heavy footprints in the
rich soil, and other plain evidences of her
being dragged or carried along through the
underground to point twenty rods from
the path. There, in an open space not
more than twenty feet square, with a thicket
on three sides, found the body. Decom-
position had set in, of course and the odor
greeted my nostrils before my eyes made
the discovery.
That murder had been committed there
could be no doubt. The girl lay on hel
back, her feet drawn up, her clothing badly
corn and in disorder. and while one hand
clenched stout stick, the other had dying
clutch on coat button-just match fol
those left on VIII Grafton's coat. She had
been choked to death, aud it was a horrible
sight, her eyes wide open, her tongue out
and look of agony on her bloated face.
l examined the tinger-nails and found blood
and flesh under them, left there as she
clawed the half-idiot's face and hand. On
the ground was tobacco-box. which he
atterward identified and boldly claimed. A
murder had been committed, and 1 had dis
covered the murderer; but l was not as
enthusiastic as Won NAV have ina pinad